They say some things get better with age. Case in point, these 30 metro Detroit restaurants that have been dishing out everything from classic Italian fare, authentic German eats, and simply delicious all-American bar food for more than 50 years. Though a few selections have nearly shuttered, these must-eat-at spots are still standing and, better yet, still serving.

Buddy’s Pizza 17125 Conant St., Detroit; 313-892-9001; buddyspizza.com Now a chain, the original Buddy’s pizzeria is still kicking on Six Mile and Conant in Detroit. According to its website, in 1936, Buddy’s Rendezvous existed as a blind pig, skirting the state and federal laws. That was until owner August Gus Guerra decided to introduce a Sicilian-style square pizza in 1946, which was made using pans borrowed from local auto plants. At that moment, Detroit-style pizza was born. Credit: Yelp, Inc., Flickr Creative Commons
American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island 114 W. Lafayette Blvd. and 118 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit In the age-old American vs. Lafayette coney war, American has Lafayette beat in terms of who was there first. Founded by Constantine “Gust” Keros, a Greek immigrant, American Coney Island has been serving classic coney dogs since 1917. Gust’s brother William “Bill” Keros founded next-door Lafayette a few years later in 1924. Credit: Shutterstock
Jacoby’s German Beirgarten 624 Brush St., Detroit; 313-962-7067; jacobysbar.com Founded in 1904, the downtown German restaurant has fed and pre-soaked generations of people before going to catch concerts at neighboring Saint Andrew’s Hall for many years. Credit: Shutterstock
Two Way Inn 17897 Mount Elliott St., Detroit; 313-891-4925; 2wayinn.com The east-side dive bar opened in 1876 and claims to be the city’s oldest watering hole. Credit: Google Maps
Greene’s Hamburgers 24155 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington; 248-474-7980 Charred beef and onions, greasy Brown’s buns, and a white-clad, ’50s-era building makes Greene’s, which opened in 1957, a quintessential metro Detroit slider spot. Credit: Paul S, Yelp
Duly’s Place 5458 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-544-3076 Founded in 1921 by Duly Seit, this 24-hour Coney Island has fans in both local Detroiters as well as the late CNN host Anthony Bourdain, who stopped by as part of his Parts Unknown: Detroit special. As far as humble coneys go, the national praise is well-deserved for this no-frills diner. Credit: @K__sherrill, Instagram
Ivanhoe Café (Polish Yacht Club) 5249 Joseph Campau Ave., Detroit; 313-925-5335 Serving up traditional Polish dining and drinks, this restaurant was founded by Stanislaus Grendzinski in 1909 and quickly became a staple of its Poletown neighborhood, gathering community regulars nightly. In 1961, Ivanhoe began housing the Polish Yacht Club, which still operates today. Come on in and taste a bit of history (and some delicious pierogi). Credit: Liza Lagman Sperl, Flickr Creative Commons
Amore da Roma 3401 Riopelle, Detroit; 313-831-5940 Originally Roma Cafe, this Italian restaurant has been around since the late 1800s, making it Detroit’s oldest restaurant. It changed names when it changed hands in 2017. Credit: Amore da Roma, Facebook
Marcus Hamburgers 6349 E. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-891-6170 This hidden gem has been delivering quality burgers and fries since 1929 with a twist — the burgers are shaped like rectangles, served on a hot dog bun. Stop by for a taste of classic Detroit. Credit: @burgerobsessions, Instagram
Bronx Bar 4476 2nd Ave., Detroit; 313-832-8464 The Bronx Bar’s Detroit roots go back as far as 1938. Credit: Google Maps
Joe Muer Seafood 400 Renaissance Center, Suite 404, Detroit; 313-567-6837; joemuer.com Joe Muer Seafood has been serving up primo seafood classics for nearly 70 years. In 1998, the restaurant briefly shuttered but was given a second life when Joe Vicari moved the restaurant into the Renaissance Center. Credit: Joe Muer Seafood, Facebook
The London Chop House 155 W. Congress St., Detroit; 313-962-0277; thelondonchophouse.com Opened in 1938, the London Chop House faced a similar fate as Joe Muer’s in 1991, and was reincarnated in 2012 with a classy ’60s vibe. Credit: Mark Tremel, Google Maps
Cadieux Cafe 4300 Cadieux Rd., Detroit; 313-882-8560; cadieuxcafe.com Most famous for its “feather bowling,” this Belgian bar that operated as prohibition-era speakeasy also serves good brews and food, including mussels. Credit: @caocao13, Instagram
Bate’s Burgers 33406 Five Mile Rd., Livona; 248-542-8878; batesburgers.com The western suburbs’ slider purveyor has been rolling since 1959. Credit: Bate's Burgers, Facebook
Mario’s Italian Restaurant 4222 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-832-1616; mariosdetroit.com Opened in 1948, Mario’s Italian Restaurant keeps the old-school charm alive and well. According to its web site, Mario’s is one of the last existing supper clubs of its era — the type of Italian joint that where you’re served a vegetable and relish tray as soon as you sit down. Dine in with this Italian classic that gladly doesn’t bend to food fads. Credit: Mario’s Italian Restaurant, Facebook
Chick Inn Drive-In 501 Holmes Rd., Ypsilanti; 734-483-3639 The 1950s-era Ypsilanti drive-in chicken shack is a pink neon-clad icon that greets those entering the city along Prospect Road with a sign featuring a squawking chicken head. The menu isn’t totally chicken-centric as one would expect, as it offers a wide selection of traditional and not-so-traditional drive-in fare like foot-longs, coney dogs, patty melts, sweet potato fries, seafood, and plenty of fried finger foods. The price is right as most sandwiches are around $5. Credit: Kate de Fuccio
Miller’s Bar 23700 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-565-2577; millersbar.com A popular burger joint regarded as one of the best in metro Detroit, Miller’s Bar opened its doors in Dearborn 1941. The burgers, fries, and onion rings are served up ultra-casual on squares of wax paper. Credit: Miller’s Bar, Facebook
A&W 4100 Twelve Mile Rd., Berkley; 248-547-7126 This drive-in opened in 1956 and still mixes its famous root beer in house, blending A&W concentrate with water and real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. You’ll also find all the foot-longs and hot dogs for which this old-school spot is known. Credit: Kurt Hunsanger, Yelp
The Dakota Inn Rathskeller 17324 John R St., Detroit; 313-867-9722; dakota-inn.com German for a bar or restaurant located in a basement, The Dakota Inn Rathskeller has been serving up authentic dishes since 1933. While the food is delicious and a wonderful taste of German cuisine, what’s unique about the Dakota Inn is its pre-World War II decorations that have been preserved for many years. Credit: Dakota Inn Rathskeller, Facebook
New Hudson Inn 56870 Grand River Ave., New Hudson; 248-437-6383; newhudsoninn1831 Established in 1831, the New Hudson Inn was once a stagecoach stop. As the oldest bar in Michigan serving up classic bar food eats, the Inn has kept its history, and Midwest charm intact with its revolving door of bikers, cowboys, and hometown regulars. Credit: @Brighton_HarleyDavidson, Instgram
Monroe’s Original Hot Dog Drive-In 1111 W. Front St., Monroe; 734-241-1612 This spot has some history. It first started as an A&W restaurant more than 75 years ago, but broke from A&W when the company asked its franchises to start serving burgers. Monroe is a hot dog stand, not a burger stand, so its owner struck out on his own. To this day Monroe’s Original Hot Dog Drive-in remains a hot dog shop — no beef patties here. The menu offers a range of regular and foot-long dogs, chips, and beverages, and ownership reportedly intends to keep it that way. Credit: Courtesy photo
Sindbad’s Restaurant and Marina 100 Saint Clair St., Detroit; 313-822-7817; sinbads.com Located along the Detroit River, Sinbad’s was opened in 1949. The name recalls the fictional sailor from One Thousand and One Nights and restaurant menus and napkins feature classic mermaid illustrations. In 1998, Sinbad’s received a remodel for its 50th anniversary. Credit: Sindbad’s Restaurant and Marina, Facebook
Telway Burgers 6820 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-843-2146; thetelway.4-food.com Decades ago, you used to be able to clip a coupon out of the TV Guide that would get you ten sliders for $1. The prices haven’t changed much. Credit: Metro Times File Photo
Scotty Simpson’s Fish and Chips 22200 Fenkell St., Detroit; 313-533-0950; scottysfishandchips.com Scottty’s is arguably Detroit’s finest fish fryer, opened on Detroit’s west side in 1950. Not much has changed since. Credit: Scotty B., Yelp
Abick’s 3500 Gilbert St., Detroit; 313-894-9329 Built in 1907 in Southwest Detroit, Abick’s is your classic corner neighborhood watering hole. Credit: @bluucat, Instagram
Brayz Burgers 22941 Dequindre Rd., Hazel Park; 248-542-8878 This old-school cash-only corner joint with a retro style and counter seating serves burgers and hot dogs, including their staple burger offering, the Belly Buster. Credit: Google Maps
Daly Drive-In 31500 Plymouth Rd., Livonia; 734-427-4474 Don’t be fooled by the nondescript building out front — the Daly Drive-In is a classic drive-in restaurant with a modern, wavy white roof out back, and speakers for taking orders. The first Daly’s location opened in 1948 and grew to nearly 20 locations at its peak, but the Plymouth Road hot dog, burger, and fry spot is the last drive-in of the Daly family left standing. Among the favorites is the foot-long DalyDog and the coney, which Daly’s owners say is superior to the standard coney island fare. Credit: Chelsea Overton
Nancy Whiskey 2644 Harrison St., Detroit; 313-962-4247; nancywhiskeydetroit.com Established in 1902, the North Corktown dive bar is one of the city’s oldest. Credit: Nancy Whiskey, Facebook
Andrew’s on the Corner 201 Joseph Campau., Detroit; 313-259-8325 Andrew’s on the Corner has been on its Joseph Campau spot since 1918. Credit: Andrews on the Corner / Facebook
Fleetwood Diner 301 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor; 734-955-5502; thefleetwooddiner.com This 24-7 diner has been serving its Hippie Hash to U-M students since 1949. Credit: Google Maps

Have something to share?

SEND US A NEWS TIP

Since 1980, Metro Times has been Detroit’s premier alternative source for news, arts, culture, music, film, food, fashion and more from a liberal point of view.